We ate crackers and dried beef strips for breakfast, all the while discussing different strategies.

There was only me, Clove, Thresh, Peeta, Katniss, and the girl with the red hair left in the arena, and we knew that Peeta was mortally wounded.

"Okay, so how are we going to draw Thresh out from that field of his?" Clove mused as we chewed.

"We could start a fire," I suggested.

Clove shook her head disdainfully. "That would attract too much attention. Firegirl would see the smoke and come running, and she's too accurate with that bow. We'd have to catch her by surprise to stand a chance."

"So we take out her and Loverboy before we go after Thresh. They must be stationed somewhere, since he's not dead yet and obviously too weak to walk."

Clove snorted. "And how do you propose we do that, Muscles? This isn't like training. She's not going to come trouncing out waiting for you to kill her."

I growled and threw a knife at her, which she dodged. "You think I don't know this isn't training? I've actually killed people here. I'm sore and malnourished, and I'm reduced to hanging around you."

That last part was a joke; Clove and I were best friends. We did everything together in training. She was the closest to my equal as I had ever seen in most everything except strength, but that was only because she was a girl.

She smirked at me. "Yeah, must be real tough for you, buddy. At least it's not your time of the month, so be grateful."

I scrunched my nose. "Clove, there is such a thing as too much information, you know."

She stood up and dusted the crumbs from her hands, then said, "Let's get going, Muscles. If we're going to find Firegirl and Loverboy we should get moving."

She held out a hand in offer of help. As per usual I declined it and got up by myself, stowing the rest of our supplies in our respective backpacks.

We moved quickly and silently, maneuvering around logs and piles of leaves effortlessly. As we walked, we talked. About everything. Weapons, past victories, prospective kills.

"I want Firegirl first, though," Clove whined behind me as we crossed a stream.

"No. She's mine. She embarrassed me in front of all of Panem, and boy is she going to pay. I need my revenge Clove, and you know it."

"But at least let me have a little fun with her," Clove said. If I didn't know her better, I'd think she was pleading with me.

I smirked. I knew what Clove's definition of fun was. Firegirl was in for a lot of pain, if I let Clove have her way.

"Fine, but I want her alive enough to know that I'm the one who took her. Just imagine the look on her face."

Clove laughed and pushed me playfully. "That is, if she still has a face by the time I'm through with her."

I snorted and pushed her back. A little too forcefully, I'm afraid, because she went flying into a tree, ramming the right side of her face into the bark. I ran over to her, worried.

"Hold still, you little demon," I snapped as I checked her head for injuries.

She pushed my hands away. "I'm fine, you bastard. Don't be so pushy."

With that she got up and started walking again.

I grinned and caught up with her. "Okay, but if you get a concussion don't blame me."

She whirled on me and started yelling. "I will blame you! You're the one who pushed me into the fucking tree, you idiot!"

That was Clove for you.

I raised my hands in a conciliatory gesture. "I'm sorry, Clove," I said sincerely.

She closed her eyes and rubbed the bridge of her nose. I could tell she was tired. Tired of everything, of the constant strain on her stamina, of the bad food, of me, of the arena. I drew her into a rough hug.

"Come on, little demon. Just a few more to go."

She hugged me back tentatively, burying her head in my arms. "But what if something happens to one of us?" Her voice was muffled through the shirt I wore.

"Then the other one goes on and wins the glory and honor. For our District."

A small pause ensued. Then she asked, "And if nothing happens to one of us? What then?"

That one was harder. I had refused to think about it until now. What if it did end up with us being the final two? What would we do? We were pretty evenly matched; neither of us had any secret skill or advantage the other didn't know about. Not to mention she was my best friend. How could I kill her?

But deep down inside I knew that I would do what I had to in order to win. Even if it meant taking Clove's life. But would you be able to live with yourself if you did? A small voice inside me asked. I quickly pushed that voice away. I didn't need to think about that right now.

"Then we'll fight it out and I'll come out on top, of course."

She snorted into my shirt. "I'd like to see you try, Muscles."

I smiled and hugged her tighter for a second before releasing her from my arms.

"Come on, shorty. We have people to kill and a Game to win." With that I jogged off.

A few seconds later I felt a breeze as a knife whistled past my ear and lodged itself into a tree in front of me.

"You know I don't like being called shorty," Clove grumbled as she caught up to me after she retrieved her knife."

I grinned. "Yet you don't mind demon?"

"Shut up and run."