Rise From the Ashes

Chapter Twelve

We stay awake through the night. Cato keeps stroking my hair and kissing my head.

"Hey, if we win, mind if we don't get married right away? I feel like I barely know you." I say. I feel him nod.

"No I think that's a great idea. I do know I love you." He says.

"I love you too." I mumble. I sigh. "We should get dressed and you should go down to your floor."

We both slide out of my bed and dress quickly. I walk him to the elevator and he kisses me deeply.

"Don't go to the cornucopia. I'll take care of that." Cato says softly. I nod.

"I'll find us water." I promise. "Then we just need to find each other."

"Hey, we can find each other. We just have to stay alive long enough to get there." Cato says. The elevator comes and he leaves. I walk to the living room and sink to the floor.

"Hey Ash." Cinna says softly. I glance up at him. "Mind if I redo your braids?"

"No go ahead." I answer. He settles onto the couch and carefully rebraids my hair into my tiny braids. "If I die, try and take care of the Everdeens."

"I will but you're not going to die. You are going to make it out of this. You're going to go home and you four are going to live happily in Twelve." Cinna says firmly.

"Five." I say. "Apparently Snow gives his offspring a last request when they go into the games. He said if Cato and I make it to the end, we can win together. Cato just has to live in Twelve."

"Do you think he'll keep his word?" Cinna asks.

"If he doesn't I'll force his hand. I'm not coming out of the Games without Cato." I say. Cinna nods.

"Well you missed the interview recap. They're replaying it all night long." Cinna offers. I nod and he turns it on. Most of the tributes are forgettable. Cato's declaration of love for me and the news of our engagement send ripples through the crowd. My interview does come across as a girl in love. Most of my depth comes from what Cato says. But then there's the part about Katniss. It makes me seem tragic. I sacrificed myself for my best friend. I've gone beyond what most people would do for their friends and become the sacrificial lamb. Gale is forgettable after us. He tries to play up his family but it doesn't work in the face of what Cato and I did. "Go to bed. You need sleep."

I walk to my room and try to sleep but I mostly end up dozing through the night. I'm roused at dawn and given a simple sheath to dress in. I'm lead to the roof and a ladder drops down. I grab it and I'm frozen in place. They raise me up and a woman approaches me.

"This is your tracker Ash. The stiller you the better I'll be able to place this." She says. I'm not sure what she's talking about. I'm as still as a stone. She presses something into my arm and there's a sharp pinch before it beeps and I'm set free.

We fly for about half an hour before the windows darken and I know we're close to the arena. All I can hope for is trees. We're lead through the catacombs and taken into the Launch Room. I shower quickly and brush my teeth. My outfit was left here. Cinna had no say in it so it's a surprise to both of us. He helps me into the undergarments, light green blouse, a thin black jacket, and tan pants. I slip into the boots which remind me of my hunting boots back home. They've got a good tread. Good for running.

"This jacket will reflect your body heat. Be prepared for some cool nights." Cinna says. I nod. He gently attaches my pin. "They barely let this through and your ring is considered Cato's token since he didn't have one before."

"Thank you." I say. He helps me into the tube.

"If I could bet. I'd bet on you." He says.

"Truly?" I ask.

"Truly." He says as the tube closes and cuts me off from him. It slowly rises and takes me into the arena. It's dark for a few moments and then the sun shines brightly down on me, blinding me momentarily.

I glance around and quickly spot the bow. I search the circle for Cato and he smiles at me. He points towards the trees and I nod. The minute slowly fades away and I position myself towards a backpack. The gong rings and I run scooping up a piece of plastic and a loaf of bread. I grab the bag and am quickly stopped by the boy from nine I grapple him for a moment before he coughs up blood onto my face. I stumble back and scoop my bread back up before starting for the trees. Clove is right behind me. I hear the knife whizzing and I hoist my bag up. The knife lodges itself in the bag and I smile. I pause at the tree line to look back. The fighting is still going on and I can't find Cato. I turn and start running again. The further away I am from the fighting the better.

Around mid afternoon I stop. By now the canons are ringing. I count eleven. Cato was strong enough and skilled enough he couldn't have been one of them. I carefully go through my supplies while I wait. A sleeping bag. Some crackers. Some jerky. Iodine. A dry water bottle. A pair of sunglasses that don't work. I sigh and stand again. I need to find water. I keep walking and soon start going downhill. I hate valleys. I'd rather be up high. I pass a few rabbits which is good news. It means that there's water nearby.

As night falls I search for a tree. Most of the trees won't offer me enough protection or cover. I finally find a willow and start climbing. I find a fork and someone taps my shoulder. I turn as quickly as I can and sigh in relief to find Cato. He passes me the bow and I smile. I get out my sleeping bag and we both slide in. I make him take his belt off and I belt us in. The anthem fills the arena and the dead are flashed on screen. All the careers survived except the boy from four, the boy from three, the girl from five, the girl from ten, the boy from eight, both from six, seven and nine.

Some idiot starts a fire and it's right by us. What's left of the career pack will find them soon. Sure enough footsteps of two boys and three girls soon follow. There's a scream and then a canon. They walk for a little and then stop.

"If only we could find the lovers." Clove says.

"Don't worry, I know how she works. We'll find her soon enough." A voice says. I recognize that voice. It's Gale.