The Hunger Games: Death of the Mockingjay

Chapter 14

Hi guys. This chapter took a hell of a lot of work and it was so complicated to write. I just hope I haven't lost you with it....

We walk on in silence until we reach a small clearing where the rays of sunlight break through the trees illuminating a small round hut made of tree roots and mud.

"Welcome to my home" says Barris.

I roll my eyes and sigh. I'm not really sure why I agreed to follow Barris here, I thought he might of been able to help us in some way but this whole walk into the forest seems to be a waste of time. Rue and I step into the hut to find a simple cast iron stove in the centre with a few animal skins laid out around the perimeter giving the little hovel a warm cozy feel to it. Against one wall appears to be some sort of radio communication device. It's old and primitive and I can only guess that this is what Barris uses to stay in contact with the outside world.

"How long have you lived here?" I ask

Barris shrugs nonchalantly "Oh a few years. After the war I travelled round the country visiting different Districts, the kinda thing you couldn't do before when Snow was about. Some called me a Pilgrim or a Drifter but if anything I just wanted to see the country for what it was"

"Excuse me sir, but where did you find your friend?" asks Rue sincerely.

Barris walks to Kaber's side and looks up at the mutt which towers over him.
"I found him in the forest not far from here. He was injured and struggling to fight off a pack of wolves that were trying to tear him apart. I shot two of the wolves with my rifle and the others fled, obviously he's a mutt so I had no idea of how to heal him but over time he kinda healed himself. Since then we've lived together here. We both hunt and look out for each other"

"He doesn't say much" says Rue

"Ah that's normal for a Man mutt girlie. He was only a foot soldier in the war and can only follow orders, he can't give them"

"That's such a shame" says Rue as she steps forward to take the mutt's hand.
I'm taken back by my daughter's bravery in the face of such a large and powerful animal. My instincts tell me to stop her but when I look at Kaber I see an unusual look of fascination from his face, a hint of a frown. He takes her hand with the gentleness of a feather and crouches down as low as he can possibly go to look into her eyes. I'm amazed at the display of affection this creature is showing Rue, only once before have I seen such adulation from a mutt.
He looks down at her tiny hand as it rests in his huge palm, then bows his head obediently.

"Well I'll be, I ain't seen nothin' like it" exclaims Barris although deep down I'm not surprised at all.

"It's a bit difficult to explain but Rue and Kaber are kinda related".
Rue turns her head to face me "what?"

"When we were in the Hunger Games part of the process was to take a sample of DNA while you were in training. When the war started Wolfe stole Peeta's DNA from the archive and used it to grow his Mutt army and with Rue being Peeta's daughter......I guess Kaber can sense the link between the two somehow" I say shrugging.

"Well I'll be...." says Barris scratching the back of his head in amazement.

Our attention suddenly gets drawn to the communication device that's sat against the wall on the other side of the hut, it's started beeping.

"We've got a new signal coming through" says Barris.
He crosses the room to the old machine and sits in an old rickety chair, Rue comes back to my side to watch what Barris is doing.

"What is this thing?" I ask

"It's an old comms system from the dark days. I found it in a crashed hovercraft about a days walk from here. Kaber and I brought it back here with some solar panels to power it. It's actually proved quite useful"