Beauty in Darkness

Chapter Seventeen

The next day we rose early and continued hopping from branch to branch. We skipped breakfast in the hopes of preserving our food for as long as possible.

We finally stopped for a break at what Cason estimated to be noon and sat on a low branch and munched on two small pieces of bread and some cheese.

"What do you think is going on out there?" Cason asked, surveying the forest.

"We haven't heard any cannons. Do you think everyone just scattered?" I shrugged and looked around.

"Probably. No one wants to be near anyone right now. It's risky to have allies." Cason looked hurt. "I thought we were allies." I turned quickly to him.

"We're more than allies. You know that." Cason's face brightened. "We are?" I smiled and nodded at him.

A snap from a nearby bush made me reach for the knife that I had stowed in my jacket pocket. Cason hadn't heard the snap, but caught my movement and reached for his spear. "Don't..." I whispered.

We waited in complete silence for a few seconds then breathed out a sigh of relief when we saw a small wolf cub emerge from the brush.

I jumped down off the branch, stowed the knife back in my pocket, and slowly walked towards the cub. "Akemi!" Cason hissed behind me. "It could be dangerous!"

I shook my head and walked closer. I noticed that the cub appeared to be hurt. It was limping and had a long scratch on its muzzle.

"Here baby." I mumbled then whistled. The cub looked at me and slowly moved forward. I pulled a small piece of bread from my backpack and held it out to the cub. I wasn't sure if they ate bread, but I thought it was worth a try.

The cub slowly approached me then jumped and grabbed the piece of bread and quickly backed away.

I sat down on the ground and the cub looked at me in confusion. The cold snow seeped through my leggings quickly, but I ignored it.

The cub slowly walked over to me again and I held out my hand. It stopped for a moment then moved a little closer. When it was close enough, it started sniffing my hand. "Akemi!" Cason hissed behind me. I ignored him.

I smiled as the cub's little tail wagged and it jumped into my lap. "Can I help you?" I asked. I looked down and smiled when I saw it was a boy. I waved to Cason to toss his backpack to me and he did so begrudgingly.

I unraveled some of the gauze, cut it with my teeth, then wrapped it several times around the cub's leg.

He started running around in circles and making happy noises. I pulled out the tube of ointment and dabbed just a bit onto my fingers.

"Come here boy." The cub came back and I scratched him behind the ears with one hand while smearing the scratch on his muzzle with the other. He whimpered a bit, then stopped and his tail wagged again. "Isn't that better?" I asked as I scratched him behind the ears again.

Cason slowly walked up to me and the cub growled. "It's okay." I said soothingly. "Cason, hold out your hand." Cason sat down beside me and did as I said.

The cub slowly approached him, still with a low growl. Once it had sniffed his hand, he wagged his tail again and started running in circles around us.

"Are you sure this is a good idea?" Cason asked.

"He's a cub and he's hurt. He would have died." I smiled at the cub that was now chasing his own tail.

"And besides, he's adorable." Cason scoffed, but I saw the twinkle in his eyes when he looked at the small cub.

Suddenly, the moment was broken by a loud cannon firing. The cub jumped and started growling, hackles raised. I heard shouts then footfalls coming close to us.

"Come here." I whispered to the cub. He hurried over and I put him in my backpack, zipping it closed with a small air hole.

"We're taking him with us?" Cason asked. "Of course. They'd eat him. Now climb." I said, pointing up to the nearest tree.

We climbed up high, but stopped when we heard the voices directly below us.

"They are so stupid, starting a fire during the day. Seriously, their brains must have rotten from lack of use." I scowled at Eric's familiar voice.

"Seriously. We need someone that poses a challenge. Otherwise these Games will be too easy." I recognized the voice of the boy from Two. Shawn Klark, I think?

We watched as they moved past us, barely daring to breathe. I looked up at Cason and saw that he looked sad.

I shifted my hands for a better grip on the tree trunk then tilted his face up. "I know they are your friends. If you want to go with them, I get it. You made an alliance with them long before you made one with me." I whispered to him.

Cason didn't even hesitate. "You are my ally. Or, as you said, more than ally. We may have been friends in training, but I don't know them here. Where it's kill or be killed. But I know you. That's why I'm staying with you. Now, stop trying to get me to leave. I'll start thinking you have a problem with me or something."

I leaned forward and kissed him on the cheek. "I think that shows how big a problem I have with you." He grinned at me.

We waited for a few more moments before turning the opposite way the Careers had gone and started hopping from branch to branch. By now, Cason was almost as good as me at it. Almost.